Apple AirTags
A device used to track. The Apple AirTag is an electronic device for the purpose of tagging and tracking objects and possessions such as everything from your keys and wallet to your backpack or luggage. It is a type of Tracking device that uses ultra-wideband to communicate with other devices of capable technology. AirTag offers Bluetooth connectivity for proximity finding. But it goes one step further with ultra wideband.
privacy
Privacy Concerns: This device and ultra-wideband technology has very alarming privacy concerns. Anyone that owns an apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, or iMac is vulnerable to having their cellular and data connection USED WITHOUT CONSENT by another person's Air Tag to transmit telemetry data in real time, at any time.
If you own an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, both of which have a U1 chip, you’ll be able to use the AirTag’s Precision Finding feature. The so-called U1 chip is behind this new "force everyone to share their data connection" ultra-wideband technology. The iPhone leverages UWB (Ultra Wideband) to determine the distance and direction to the nearby airtag. It can even tap into anyone's iPhone camera, ARKit, accelerometer and gyroscope.
Apple claims they built in a number of safeguards with the AirTag to protect your privacy and prevent tracking, but there's clearly room for improvement. According to Apple, only you can see where your AirTag is and your location data and history are never stored on AirTag. Apple also says that all of the location data is encrypted and that Apple doesn’t know the location of your AirTag (unless they want to).
Your iPhone can notify you if an AirTag that's not yours is traveling with you. And you’ll be able to play a sound on that rogue AirTag to locate it and get instructions on how to disable it. Plus, an AirTag that’s separated from its owner for an unspecified period of time will start playing a sound when it's moved, alerting you to its presence. Apple does not specify how long it takes to receive this safety alert, which is troubling.
UWB
UWB (Ultra Wideband) was previously called pulse radio." It was originally a competitor to WiFi for data transfer. The name "ultra-wideband" comes from the ability to transmit info across a wide radio bandwidth, from 500MHz to several gigahertz. That gives it a short range. It uses very low power and provides data in real-time thanks to pulses sent every other nanosecond.
Today's UWB can accurately pinpoint other devices, tell you if it's in motion, and lead you to it. UWB can, in theory, pinpoint things down to the centimeter. Walls and other obstacles are not much of an issue. UWB has security extensions built right into the specification. UWB sensors were first built into the iPhone 11, plus Apple Watch Series 6, in 2019.
UWB's range isn't that much better than that of Bluetooth, around 30 feet, but Apple's implementation means that if an AirTag is active around any Apple device with UWB built-in. Apple device owners assist other apple owner's AirTag in reporting and locating. With this cooperative system the AirTag does not require its own cellular radio.
UWB is quite different from how other wireless data transfers work. It’s a pulse pattern radio-based technology that sends data in the time domain, with a spectrum ranging from 3.1 and 10.6 GHz. Conventional wireless transmissions vary the power, frequency, and/or phase of a sinewave to encode data, rather than simple pulses.
competitors
Two known competitors offering tracking capability are Tile Pro and Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Plus. Airtag is not Android compatible. Android phone users can select Tile Pro instead. Tile Pro is much louder than Airtag and has a 400-foot range. Plus, unlike the AirTag, it has a button built in to find your phone.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Plus has its own ultra wideband functionality. The SmartTag Plus has a button that will let you perform various smart home commands, like turning off the lights when you’re away.
